Anatomy of a Denial

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This is a message that was given on Palm Sunday and focuses on the Scripture references to Peter's denial of Christ.

Written Excerpts:

Luke 22:61-62 ^(NKJV) And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Introduction:

I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word anatomy. I suppose that some of those who are current or former nurses might get a case of jitters by hearing the word! I’ve never taken an Anatomy & Physiology course, but I’ve heard some pretty harsh descriptions of it from some of my friends in the past!

For me, the word anatomy actually brings flashbacks of biology labs. It was considered so important for students to learn the anatomy of a seemingly endless number of creatures (e.g. frogs, earthworms, and starfish). Therefore, we were treated to hours and hours of dissecting critters in lab classes and then study for hours so that we could pass the lab exams which consisted of numbered straight pins stuck into every part of the specimen so we could accurately identify each part by the corresponding number on our test paper.

I can’t remember who related this story to me years ago, but I heard about a student in a biology lab one time who took a piece of his chewing gum and planted inside his frog then called his teacher over to ask “What is this mass in this frog?” I’m sorry I can’t remember exactly how the story ended up, but I do remember that the person told me how the teacher was all excited because they had found a tumor in the frog!

In addition to using the term in relation to human body structure, the word anatomy is sometimes used to refer to the various “parts” that make up anything. So, the word can also refer to a minute examination or analysis of something.

The passage of Scripture that was read earlier contained the account of Peter’s denial of the Lord when Jesus was taken into custody and brought to the home of the high priest. As you might be able to tell from the sermon title, I hope to “dissect” Peter’s denial to discover the components that led up to his failure.

I.       He Made a Self-Confident Boast

Luke 22:33 ^(NKJV) But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."

Matthew 26:31-35 ^(NKJV) Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples.

Some believe that Peter is declaring his willingness to fight and even die a martyr’s death in defending his Master. Perhaps even thinking about the heroic Maccabean martyrs of a couple hundred years prior. He seems to be oblivious to the weakness that lurk within himself and cannot imagine any scenario in which he wouldn’t be willing to stand and fight with and for his Lord.

We need to be aware that in ourselves we can do nothing. We are weak, ill-equipped, and even unwilling to be what we need to be unless we are filled with the presence and power of the living Christ through His Spirit.

We need the appropriate balance between: “I am nothing in myself” and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

II.     He Maintained a Self-Preserving Distance

Luke 22:54 ^(NKJV) Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance.

The first thing we should notice here is the fact that all the other disciples left and fled. At least Peter kept following, even if it was at a distance.

The scene that is described leads us to infer that Peter followed from a distance in order to preserve his own life. It may be that things were getting much more dangerous and serious than he imagined.

Peter had boasted that he was ready to die with Jesus, but Jesus wasn’t putting up a fight. He was being led away like a lamb to the slaughter. Jesus isn’t mounting any type of resistance. There apparently isn’t going to be any valiant battle in which Peter could die a heroic martyr. This is not a battle against formidable odds. This is a “sacrifice;” a “voluntary sacrifice.”

As we walk with Christ there are going to be those times when we will be tempted to distance ourselves from Jesus because it is getting too dangerous to be identified with Him.

III.    He Mingled with the Self-Concealing Crowd

Luke 22:55 ^(NKJV) Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

The next description we read about Peter is that he is sitting among the mob. The Bible doesn’t describe these people. It doesn’t say whether they’re for Jesus or against Him. Perhaps they are just curious to see what’s going to happen. But Peter seems to be wanting to just blend in; not stand out or not be conspicuous.

Wesleyan Bible Commentary – Under the pressure of being identified with Jesus, Peter denied that he had any acquaintance with or association with Him. Most likely, rather than verbally denying Jesus, we seek to separate ourselves from Him by quietly blending in with those who oppose Him. Being lost in the comfort of the crowd is preferred to sharing in "the fellowship of his sufferings" (Phil. 3:10). Peter's denial is too often repeated by those who sit with the crowd rather than stand up and stand out for Jesus.

This crowd was self-concealing in two ways:

1. Even though he wasn’t successful in his attempt, it was a way to conceal his physical identity.

2. It was also a way to conceal his spiritual/religious identity. “Who me? I’m not one of HIS disciples.” (“I’m just here to watch what is happening like the rest of you.”)

We can make the same kind of choices if we’re not alert. We are tempted at times to just find a “normal” worldly crowd to blend in with so no one will recognize that we’re one of those “Wayside fanatics.”

I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t be engaging the people of the world around us. There is a legitimate interaction we must have in order to be salt and light. But I’m talking about attempting to “blend in” so that no one recognizes my identity as a Christian. It is a lot less threatening and less “painful” to merely be a “fan” of Jesus like a lot of other people, rather than a true “follower” that is willing to sacrifice for Jesus.

There are clear and definite dangers with mingling with the “heathen.” For example, listen to

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 ^(NKJV) "When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you… seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

Why did God order them to completely destroy the residents of Canaan? Two reasons: to keep His people from adopting the practices of the heathen; and because the “day of judgment” had come for the Canaanites. (See Deut. 9:5)

Deuteronomy 9:5 ^(NKJV) It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The NT carries the same message:

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 ^(NKJV) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

When we allow ourselves to get too closely tied in with the part of the world that is opposed to righteousness and holiness there is a risk of compromising our biblical convictions in order to “fit in.” Mixing/blending too well with unbelievers opens the door for an outright denial of our Lord and our faith.

Conclusion:

I’m thankful that the story doesn’t end with Peter’s denial. Even in the moment of greatest failure, there is a glimmer of hope expressed in the words, “He went out and wept bitterly.”

The look of Jesus.

Wesleyan Bible Commentary – William Barclay wrote, "The penalty of sin is to face, not the anger of Jesus, but the heartbreak in His eyes."

The prayer of Jesus.

Luke 22:31-32 ^(NKJV) And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

The restoration of Peter.

John 21:15ff – Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. It seems like it is meant to reflect the three denials. But just as importantly, Jesus reinstates Peter to the work of a disciple – “feed my sheep,” and “follow me.”

The Path to Revival

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This is a sermon that was given during the Lenten season to stimulate prayer and interest in personal spiritual renewal and revival. The message draws its emphasis from several different passages of Scripture that emphasize revival.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 85:6 (NKJV) Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?

Introduction:

During the Lenten season it is common for us to speak about self-denial, sacrifice, seeking after God, etc. One of the emphases that is also appropriate to focus on at this time, and really any time, is the topic of revival or spiritual renewal. I felt led to concentrate on that theme for the message today. Springtime and Easter is all about new life and resurrection, but there is a sense in which we usually talk about renewal and getting closer to God as we are leading up to Easter.

The passage of Scripture from Psalm 80 that was read earlier had quite a bit to say about revival and restoration. We are also going to be looking at some other passages today in our discussion I’m calling “The Path to Revival.”

If you ask almost any Christian believer they will tell you that they’re interested in revival and renewal. However, it takes more than mere interest or conversation to bring about true revival.

A U.S. Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and finding a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. The bishop was also interested in the sign directly underneath the banner which said: "Fire extinguisher." So much for that parish's commitment to spiritual renewal.  “One World,” May, 1982. (sermonillustrations.com)

Well, I’d say that the picture and banner were not located in the best possible place to avoid conflicting messages! But it does illustrate the fact that it’s a lot easier to talk about revival than to truly experience one.

With the help of the Lord I want to talk to us a little while about what revival is and some biblical instructions for experiencing it.

What is revival?

Revival is the inrush of the Spirit into a body that threatens to become a corpse. – D. M. Panton (Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World.)

In the physical world or secular world we use the word “revival” to mean the resurrecting of something dead, the healing of someone that is sick, or the empowering or strengthening of something that is weak.

We’ve probably all heard of cases where a patient goes into cardiac arrest and dies for several minutes, but the patient is resuscitated and brought back to life again by medical personnel. We would say, “They were revived.”

Or, we may know of someone that is very sick and unable to carry on their normal activities or daily routine. They may go to the doctor or even go to the hospital, and after a process of healing and recuperation we would say, “They’ve been revived.”

The same is true regarding someone that has simply lost strength or maybe even regarding an electrical outage. When strength has been regained or the power is back on, we would say, “The strength was revived or the power was revived.”

The same idea of revival can be applied to the spiritual world.

“Revival” – The moving, energetic force of the Holy Spirit that resurrects the dead, cures the sick and empowers the weak.

·     dead = loss of spiritual life; dead in trespasses and sins, etc.

·     sick = false doctrine or at least misplaced emphases in theology and in practice. (Some people turn minor issues into major ones and major issues into minor ones).

·     weak = some spiritual life, correct theology or view of truth, but discouraged, unable to make inroads into the devil’s turf.

The only answer to all of these undesirable conditions is the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. We all know instinctively that the Spirit of God can do more than anything else or anyone else to change the condition the church world is in today. God can do more in mere minutes than anything man can accomplish in a lifetime.

But, history and biblical record informs us that God will only respond with revival fires when people truly seek Him in a way that is consistent with His will.

What is the path to revival?

1. Humble Confession

Isaiah 57:15 ^(NKJV) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

2 Chron. 7¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves…

Revival won’t come until we admit our need.

In 1936 revival fires broke out on the campus of Wheaton College west of Chicago. A senior named Don Hillis arose in chapel to voice a plea for revival. Students responded with an all-day prayer meeting on Saturday. Both faculty and students confessed sin and made things right with one another. (Revival Insights by Oliver Price – sermonillustrations.com)

2. Repentance

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 ^(NKJV) When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

3. Prayer / Intercession

“…humble themselves, and pray and seek My face…”

J. Edwin Orr [a researcher] on prayer and spiritual awakening wrote: "Whenever God is ready to do something new with His people, He always sets them to praying." This was certainly true during the First Great Awakening. (sermonillustrations.com)

In the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts was repeatedly awakened to pray from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m. By November a powerful spiritual awakening was spreading through Wales. (sermonillustrations.com)

4. Obedience

Obedience is so important. All through the Scriptures, OT & NT, God makes it clear that He expects His people to be obedient. Praying will accomplish little or nothing unless we obey what the Lord reveals to us in prayer and in His Word.

What does revival do?

Revival is an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God. – Stephen Olford.

When we truly get revived by the Holy Spirit, people will be able to feel His presence in our church services, but more importantly, in our lives.

(J.I. Packer, Your Father Loves You – sermonillustrations.com) Revival always begins with a restoration of the sense of the closeness of the Holy One.

Second, the gospel is loved as never before. The sense of God's nearness creates an overwhelming awareness of one's own sins and sinfulness, and so the power of the cleansing blood of Christ is greatly appreciated.

Then repentance deepens. In the Ulster revival in the 1920s shipyard workers brought back so many stolen tools that new sheds had to be built to house the recovered property! Repentance results in restitution.

Finally, the Spirit works fast: godliness multiplies, Christians mature, converts appear. Paul was at Thessalonica for less than three weeks, but God worked quickly and Paul left a virile church behind him.

Conclusion:

Howard Spring – The kingdom of God is not going to advance by churches becoming filled with men, but rather by men in churches becoming filled with God.

Isaiah 44:3 ^(NKJV) For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

Lady asked Billy Sunday:

"Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn't last?"

He responded by asking her, "Why do you keep taking baths?"

We must have repeated visitations from heaven. We need repeated outpourings of the Holy Spirit upon us. The tendency for a fire is to go out. The fuel burns low and mere embers are left glowing. It takes new fuel and the gentle blowing of the wind (oxygen) to cause it to flame up again. So it is in the spiritual realm. We need the wind of the Spirit to blow on use until we are ignited again into a brilliant flame for the glory of God.

The Still Small Voice

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This sermon emphasizes one of the ways that God speaks to us and how we can prepare to hear it.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 46:10 ^(KJV) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
1 Kings 19:11-12 ^(NKJV) Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Introduction:  As we have repeatedly stated, the season of Lent is a time when Christians are encouraged to focus on spiritual renewal and improving our connection to Christ.

Sometimes we look at characteristics of Christ’s own life and try to incorporate those qualities into our own lives better than before. When we study the life of Christ in the Scriptures we discover His frequent use of solitude.

We read multiple times of Jesus getting alone to pray; going up on a mountain to pray; etc. There is one place (Mk. 6:31) where Jesus urges His disciples to “come apart and rest awhile.” If Jesus felt the need to get away and get alone, then how much more do we need it?

Being alone and being quiet isn’t very easy to do sometimes.

(Some of you may have heard a joke that goes something like this…)

Brother Andrew decided to enter a monastery to become a monk.

The Abbot who was head of the monastery welcomed the new brother and said, "Brother Andrew, we’ve taken a vow of silence at this monastery. You are welcome here as long as you like, but you may not speak until I direct you to do so."

Brother Andrew lived in the monastery for 5 years before the Abbot called for him and said, "You have been here for 5 years. You can now speak just two words."

Brother Andrew thought for a moment and then replied, "Hard bed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the Abbot said, "We will get you a better bed."

After another 5 years, Brother Andrew was summoned again by the Abbot. "You may say another two words."

"Cold food," said Brother Andrew, and the Abbot assured him that the food would be better in the future.

On his 15th anniversary at the monastery, the Abbot again called Brother Andrew into his office. "You may say two words today."

Brother Andrew blurted out, "I quit."

"Well, it's probably best", said the Abbot, "You've done nothing but complain ever since you got here."

I suppose there may be some instances of solitude and silence that do not end up well, but there is a great benefit from one of the spiritual disciplines known as solitude and silence.

In the passage of Scripture that was read earlier, the prophet Elijah had just been vigorously standing up for God in a nation that had drifted far away under the evil leadership of King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel. One of the most notable conflicts with the king and queen resulted from the contest on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal (chapter 18).

If you recall, that miraculous display of God’s power and authority prompted Elijah to call for the prophets of Baal to be rounded up and executed for their role in leading the nation away from God. This infuriated Jezebel, who promised to find Elijah and execute him. So, Elijah flees to the wilderness and is in hiding. He is depressed, discouraged and badly in need of some direct word from the Lord.

Read 1 Kings 19:11-12, Then He [God] said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

The Word of God clearly states, “…the Lord was not in the wind… the Lord was not in the earthquake… the Lord was not in the fire.” After the fire there was a “still small voice.” The phrase that had been repeated three times earlier (the Lord was not in…) is not stated this fourth time, so the inference we draw is that God’s presence was revealed in the still small voice.

Now I would like to link this passage with one from the Psalms:

Psalm 46:10 ^(KJV) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

I propose to you this morning that if we are ever going to be able to hear the still small voice amidst all of the winds, earthquakes and fires going on around us, then it is going to require us at times to “be still and know that God is really God.”

There are really only two questions I want to address today in an attempt to stress the importance of getting closer to God in this season of Lenten renewal and revival.

How do we get to the place we can hear the Voice?

What happens when we do hear the Voice? 

I.    How do we get in the place to hear God’s voice?

A. Get “shoved” out in the wilderness by God.

As the Scripture was read earlier from 1 Kings 19, we learned that Elijah was being threatened by the queen because he had just won a marvelous victory over the prophets of Baal and had executed all 400 of them.

According to verse 2, the messenger brought a very simple message from the queen, “I’m going to kill you!”  So Elijah takes off for the wilderness. Once he arrives there we read that he’s alone, hungry, exhausted, depressed, and maybe a few more things wrong with his life right now. He’s ready to die, but God provides shade from the sun, food and water even when he isn’t able to do it for himself. Then God calls him out on the side of the mountain to speak to him.

It’s hard to imagine what all might have been going through Elijah’s mind as he witnesses all of these different phenomena, but at last he hears a “still small voice.”

I want to come back to this story again, but I want to emphasize the truth revealed to us here that sometimes the only way God can get us alone enough and quiet enough to hear His voice is to force us out into the wilderness through some threat, some kind of disaster or some other tragedy in our lives. I believe that God has a unique way of orchestrating circumstances in our lives in order to bring us to the place where we are shut away, alone and quiet before Him. Then He can begin to speak to us in a quiet voice, “This is the way. Walk in it.”

When we’re exhausted from doing so much for God, then He can quiet us down and speak to us more clearly in our moments of uncertainty, perplexity and quietness.

B. We can also get in the place to hear God’s quiet voice by deliberately choosing to go there.

I want to draw your attention back to Psalm 46:10 ^(KJV) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The verse starts off with a directive: Be still!

I was able to obtain some interesting mental pictures when I looked up the Hebrew word that is translated “be still.” The word has a variety of meanings and usages including some of these: sink down, drop the hand, leave alone, let go, relax, withdraw… All of these various meanings come from this word as it is used in various contexts.

So, it seems to me that the application of this verse to us would be to for us to do whatever is necessary to let go of the busy-ness of life, relax and withdraw for a while from the “rat race” in order to get alone with God and hear His still small voice.

Some of the speakers at the men’s conference in Saxonburg last Saturday were admonishing us to get rid of the distractions in our lives so we can hear from the Lord. (iPhones, iPads, email, headphones, radio, TV, crowds, etc.) We’re bombarded so much with “noise” that we don’t even realize that we haven’t heard the Lord’s gentle voice in quite a long time!

Stop! Get quiet! Get alone! Listen!

This would be a good place to ask this question: So, do you know why God created the Sabbath? To give you ample opportunity to “Be Still.” The Sabbath wasn’t designed for “leisure time.” It was created for rest time. God built into the created order a day of rest every seven so we could get quiet and rest enough to hear Him and improve our relationship and our connection to Him.

II.  What happens when we do hear God’s voice?

I’m quite sure that there are many, many things we could say here. In fact, only God knows what all can happen if we truly get still and listen to His voice.

But if we look at the two passages of Scripture we’ve been talking about this is what we find.

A. Hearing the voice of God renews our passion and strength.

In the passage from 1 Kings 19, we read,

1 Kings 19:15-16 ^(NKJV) Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

When Elijah heard the voice of God, he not only was given a renewed ministry (when he thought he was done for, and “all washed up”), but it is implied that he was completely renewed in strength to get up and get going again!

B. Being still and hearing God’s voice enhances our knowledge of Him.

Let’s look again at Ps. 46.

“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen (or nations).”

Getting alone and getting quiet gives us the distinct opportunity to know God better and in deeper ways than ever before.   (Turn to Ps. 46.) As we look back through the verses of Ps. 46 we are reminded of God’s infinite power and protection.

When I get quiet and alone with God it gives me a unique opportunity to get to know God better and therefore be able to trust Him more.

Conclusion:

Several years ago I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Ashland Ohio where Dr. Tan was the speaker and he was speaking on the topic of spiritual disciplines, especially prayer. He has written several books and I’d like to share just a few quotes from one of them regarding the matter of solitude and silence.

“Solitude is being alone in purposeful withdrawal from human interaction. It is a deliberate choice to be alone in order to draw closer to God by the power of the Holy Spirit, thereby freeing ourselves from bondage to people and things. Silence, the absence of speech, is a crucial component of solitude…. Silence prepares us to hear God’s voice and receive revelation and guidance….

“We must seek out times and places of solitude if we are to grow into the heart of God and become more like Jesus.”

During this season of Lent, when we are so accustomed to thinking about self-denial and sacrifice in terms of fasting from food, let us seriously consider the great benefit to our spiritual lives when we “fast” from the noise and bustling activity of daily life and get alone with God for extended periods.

If we do, we can expect to see greater truths from God than we’ve seen for a long time, maybe ever.

Let’s close our service by singing the hymn, Open My Eyes that I May See.

Walking Through Sorrow into Joy

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This message takes a look at the sorrow Jesus experienced through the final days and weeks of his earthly ministry and relates it to the text in Heb. 12:2 which speaks about the "joy that was set before him." In the Lenten season, this message attempts to encourage believers to follow in the steps of Jesus and realize that all sorrow is nothing compared to the joy that awaits.

Written Excerpts:

Hebrews 12:2 ^(NKJV)  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Introduction:

Before I begin the sermon I want to share a story I saw on the internet a few weeks ago.

Headline: “Lottery winner sues, says she was too young to handle money.”

The story is about a 17-year-old who says winning Britain jackpot ruined her life. To me, this seems to illustrate how twisted our world has become for some people to really think it is the government’s fault (or lottery commission) that a jackpot winner foolishly blew through millions of dollars and is now destitute.

The title of my message today is, “Walking through Sorrow into Joy,” but this lottery story seems to illustrate someone who “walked straight through hilarious joy right into sorrow.”

Today is the second Sunday of Lent. I felt the Lord leading me to present a message today related to this season when we are thinking about the path Jesus walked toward his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection and ascension.

When we study the messages, stories and actions of Jesus leading up to his voluntary sacrifice, we can gain plenty of insight into the kind of people we need to be. One of the subjects related to the journey Jesus took prior to his crucifixion is the subject of suffering and sorrow.

A few years ago on Palm Sunday I preached a message called, “The Weeping King.” It was a sermon based on the story of Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem as he descended the Mount of Olives on the “Triumphal Entry.” He clearly was expressing intense sorrow over what the future held for a city and a people who had been given so many opportunities and privileges.

That was not the only time we read about his sorrow. Listen again to the passage that was read earlier: Mark 14:32-34 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

I can’t even begin to comprehend the depth of sorrow Jesus must have been feeling that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judging by the kinds of statements He made to His disciples during the Last Supper and even before, His sorrow had to include the realization that His closest followers didn’t really understand the truth about His mission.

But that night couldn’t have been the end of sorrow for the Savior. The ordeal he endured the next day with the sham of a trial, the flogging, and the crucifixion all would have produced sorrow upon sorrow. Yet, I’m certain the deepest sorrow of all was the sense of abandonment when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The primary text that I want to discuss with you this morning is found in Hebrews 12.

Hebrews 12:2    looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I want to talk a little while about the meaning of this phrase when it says Jesus endured the cross, despised the shame all because of the joy that was set before him.

Endured the cross – I think we all have heard numerous descriptions of what it was like to die on the cross. It was an excruciating death.

Jesus endured, persevered to the end – death.

Despised the shame - This is not [merely] the shame of dying a criminal's death but the shame of dying the death of a criminal who was accounted as accursed by God by his executioners (Galatians 3:13 ^(NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"); so also Phil. 2:8. "Despising (the) shame" does not mean that the shame was a small thing, but that, in comparison with the joy, Christ scorned to consider it. (Lenski New Testament Commentary)

This author is stressing the point that the shame Jesus despised was the “scandal” or “curse” that was associated with crucifixions. And, as he stated, it doesn’t mean that He merely viewed it as a small matter, but He actually scorned it; wouldn’t even consider it. Why? Because He knew the joy ahead.

For the joy that was set before Him – "The joy lying before him" is the glorification that followed the sufferings plus his kingship over all believers.... During his entire humiliation, especially when he was foretelling the cross, Jesus referred to his resurrection and the enthronement with his Father. (Lenski New Testament Commentary)

In the past I’ve read that some believed the phrase should have been translated, “…instead of the joy that was set before Him,” implying the same as Philippians 2 where “He did not consider His equality with God as something to be held onto, but humbled Himself to death, even death on the cross.” But here the sentence structure reads, “The joy that lay before Him” (not behind Him).

The joy that spurred Him on to endure the cross, the shame and the intense sorrow was based on His anticipation of the return to glory with the Father and to sit in authority and honor at His right hand. Jesus willingly walked the road of sorrow through each and every day that led up to His painful death and abandonment because He knew “joy was coming in the morning.”

(Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.)

Application to believers:

When Jesus calls us to follow Him, it includes sorrow in one form or another. There may be suffering, there may be rejection, and there may be other sources of sorrow that we have to face. These are all things that He told us to expect. But as we walk with Him through the valleys of sorrow, let us never forget that sorrow is not the end. Remember that Jesus walked through all His sorrow with His eyes focused on the coming joy.

Tyndale Commentaries - The linking of joy with suffering in this verse echoes a constant New Testament theme. Indeed on the eve of his passion Jesus spoke of his joy and of his desire that his disciples should share it.

John 15:9-11 ^(NKJV) "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 17:13 ^(NKJV) But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Jesus knew the absolute joy and delight that awaited Him because He had shared the glory of the Father before coming to live among men. He also promised that His joy would remain in us and fill up our joy.

Sorrow is a normal part of life. And the Bible tells us that suffering rejection, persecution and opposition is a normal part of the Christian life. As we make every effort to walk in the steps of Jesus, let us keep our focus on the joy that is coming.

Yes, we certainly have a taste of that now as we fellowship with Christ and with His people, but there is coming a day when the joy will be “out of this world!”

Let us close the service by singing the hymn: All for Jesus

Enter Here

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This sermon is the sixth and final message in a series of sermons on the Kingdom of God. The theme of this message deals with the point of actually becoming a part of the Kingdom. It speaks about attitudes and choices that are necessary to enter through the only door to the Kingdom - Jesus Christ.

Written Excerpts:

John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Introduction:

On 5 different Sundays now I have been preaching sermons about the Kingdom of God. I admit that I haven’t presented them in any type of logically consistent order, but I have been sharing various principles about the Kingdom of God primarily through the parables of Jesus. Today, I am going to conclude our series. There is probably much more that can be said about the Kingdom of God, but we have discussed a number of aspects taught in Scripture so we can save whatever remains for another time in the future. In our message today we are going to be looking at parables and comments of Jesus that speak about the way someone actually enters the kingdom of God. 

Friday morning I went to the Grove City High School to purchase a couple of tickets for the boys’ basketball district championship game up at Edinboro Univ. I’ve been in GCHS numerous times for ball games or other functions, but every time I’ve been there was a time when the school was expecting the general public, so the doors were unlocked and I just walked in. On Friday, however, it was during normal school hours and the doors were locked. Besides that, I didn’t know for sure which door would be closest to the main office, because I’d never had the opportunity to go to the office before.

I tried one set of doors, but couldn’t get in and didn’t see any intercom or other means of speaking with people in the office, so I tried another set of doors. Thankfully, this was where I found a little sign that indicated where I could find the buzzer to call into the office. After contacting the office on the intercom, the door was unlocked and I was able to enter. My search didn’t take that long, but it could have been even shorter if there had been a rather large sign that said, “Visitors enter here!”

This story of my little journey into the high school kind of illustrates a point regarding our topic today: There is only one door to enter the kingdom of God, (that is Jesus Christ) but there are numerous signs (instructions, conditions, steps) that lead us to the correct door.

With the help of God’s Spirit, I want to talk to you today about the various conditions that Jesus gave for those who wish to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

I looked up a number of Scriptures that clearly spoke about “entering the kingdom.” I knew we wouldn’t have time to discuss all of them, but I want to emphasize a few of them this morning.

I.    To enter the kingdom we must have a childlike spirit.

Mark 10:15 ^(NLT) I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Here Mark writes with a “double negative” so allow me to reword it as a positive statement. “Anyone who receives the Kingdom of God like a child will certainly enter it.” Meaning?

Lenski New Testament Commentary - The statement is astonishing in every way. We should think as, alas, so many did and do think that a babe must receive the kingdom as an adult does, but absolutely the reverse is true. The child is the model and not the [adult]. It is the unassuming humility and unquestioning trustfulness of the child that make it the pattern for all adults.

Another writer (Tyndale Commentary) adds the trait of guileless faith (i.e. trust without deceit, or deviousness).

A person does not find the door to the Kingdom in a spirit of pride, privilege or persistent doubt. We do not find the door when we’re preoccupied with our own importance and “goodness.” “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

We do not find the door if we allow persistent doubts control our decisions.  (Doubts do have a way of driving a person to seek after the truth, but eventually there must come a time to step forward in trust before the door to the Kingdom may be entered.)

II.  To enter the kingdom we must have a willingness to surrender competing affections.

Mark 10:23-25 ^(NKJV) Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

The context of these statements includes the story of the rich young ruler who came to the Lord asking what he needed to do in order to “inherit eternal life.”

The word used for “riches” in this context is a word that literally means “matter,” “things” or “possessions.” It was most commonly used to refer to riches/wealth because of the wealth needed to have great possessions. (Notice it says in v. 22 the man went away sorrowful because he had “great possessions,” although that is a different word.)

He came to the Lord and asked, “What must I do?” But Jesus wanted him to understand, “Who must I be?”

In order to enter the Kingdom of God, I must be someone who has surrendered every other idol, every affection, and every ambition in order to be fully committed to following the Master. In this man’s case, his wealth was the one thing that prevented his total commitment to the Lord, so Jesus tells him what he must do – sell out and give to the poor.

Kyle Idleman – Like this man, most, if not all, of us will sooner or later be forced to choose between following Jesus or keeping something else that we love.

Mark 9:47 ^(NKJV) And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

It’s better to live without something we think is essential than to fail to enter the kingdom of God and be lost for eternity.

Important to notice that Jesus did not say it was impossible for a rich man to enter. When asked about it, He replies, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.” People sometimes think that they will never be able to make the kind of commitment that Jesus requires, but God’s grace makes it possible!

III. To enter the kingdom we must experience a spiritual birth.

John 3:3-5 ^(KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

In this conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus instructs him about the necessity to have a spiritual birth. I would describe this as what actually takes place in the heart and life of a person who has found the door to the Kingdom (Jesus Christ) and has stepped through the door. There is a dramatic spiritual transformation that takes place as that individual places his or her trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Without that, “he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

1 Cor. 5:17 If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and behold all things are become new.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ^(NKJV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Immediately after giving this description of those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, Paul immediately says, “and such were some of you, but you were washed… sanctified… and justified… by the Spirit of our God.” In other words, they had experienced a new birth! They had experienced a transformation by God’s grace.

Conclusion:

As we bring this message to a close, let me add this final thought:

Entering the Kingdom of God was never presented by Jesus or the Apostles as something that would be stress-free, without opposition and suffering or without cost. In Acts 14 we have an account of the Apostle Paul being stoned and “left for dead.” But he was revived and a short time later we read these words about him and his preaching partner, Barnabas.

Acts 14:21b-22 ^(NKJV) … they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

Jesus never gave the impression that entering the Kingdom was easy, but He repeatedly assures us that it is worth every sacrifice and the eternal rewards in His Kingdom far out-weigh any worldly pleasures. The eternal joy is immeasurably greater than eternal hopelessness and pain.

If you haven’t stepped through the door into the Kingdom by trusting in Jesus; if you haven’t truly been born again by the Spirit of God, then I urge you to come to Christ today.

Let’s all stand and sing the closing hymn: Jesus, I Come

The Great Separation

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This is the fifth sermon in a series of messages on the Kingdom of God. This message references the parables of the Kingdom of God in which Jesus describes the separation that will take place between the tares and the wheat; the good and bad fish; and the wise and foolish virgins.

Written excerpts:

Matthew 13:24-30, 47-50 ^(NKJV) Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "

⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 25:1-13 (NKJV)  “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Introduction:

This is now the 5^th sermon in a series we have been doing regarding the Kingdom of God. We have already covered a number of topics related to the Kingdom:

·    The Old Testament basis for the Kingdom and other details such as: kingdoms have a sovereign ruler or king, the king rules over a dominion or realm, & the fact that God’s kingdom is both present and future;

·     The values of the world vs. the values of the Kingdom;

·     The infinite value or worth of God’s Kingdom and our investment in it; and

·     The ever-expanding growth of the Kingdom.

Today we are going to examine another feature of the Kingdom of God. This feature includes the sobering fact that there is a day of reckoning and judgment coming.

The parables we are discussing today about the kingdom of God each stress the truth that there is a great separation coming when there will be a division between the wheat and the weeds, the good and bad fish, and the wise and foolish virgins.

I would like to summarize the content of each parable and then draw a few conclusions for us to ponder.

Parable of the Tares (Weeds)

Not a parable about true and false believers in the church.

Jesus is talking about the world (v.38) with good seeds (true believers, “sons of the kingdom”) and the weeds (sons of the wicked one).

(Weeds were identified as “darnell” by most commentaries because it so closely resembles wheat in early growth.) The weeds look just like the wheat until it came time for the heads of grain to form, then it became apparent that they were weeds. (Just like people who haven’t been truly born again and filled with God’s Spirit can still imitate Christian behavior to some extent.)

“Enemy sowed the weeds.” In that region it was a crime to purposely sow weeds into someone’s crop field. The “sons of the wicked one” are not only headed for destruction themselves, but are used by the “wicked one” in an attempt to hinder/ruin the good seed or “sons of the kingdom.”

The owner allows both to grow together until the time of harvest when the weeds will be gathered and burned, but the wheat will be gathered in storage.

Jesus compares the harvest to the time when God will send angels to harvest the wicked and the righteous from the world. There will be a final separation with quite pronounced differences in their final lot (fire, weeping and gnashing of teeth vs. shining forth in glory).

Parable of the Fishing Dragnet

Tyndale Commentaries - The net is the large ‘dragnet’ which is drawn between two boats or by ropes from the shore, collecting all fish and other creatures within the area covered, which must then be sorted out to remove the bad, i.e. those unsuitable for eating. The reference, as in the weeds, is not primarily to a mixed church, but to the division among mankind in general which the last judgment will bring to light.

Jesus says this dragnet describes the separation of the wicked from the just. The wicked will be cast into the fire with wailing and gnashing of teeth. He doesn’t mention what happens to the just, but it is assumed that they are rewarded as indicated in the previous parable.

Parable of the Ten Virgins

This parable is not given at the same time as the two we’ve just discussed, but it was included in a later discourse by Christ about His second coming.

Lenski New Testament Commentary - These [virgins] were friends of the bride who went out from their homes with the necessary lamps, not to the bride's home, but to a place that was conveniently near. When the groom brought the bride out of her home, these virgins came forward and joined the procession with their lighted lamps and had their part in the feasting and the joy of the wedding in the groom's house…. In this parable the bride and her special attendants and the companions of the bridegroom are not mentioned because the [point of comparison] deals only with the bridegroom and with the action of these virgins.

The number ten is not accidental but symbolical. It denotes completeness. Thus we have Ten Commandments, ten talents (25:28), ten pieces of silver (Luke 15:8), ten servants, ten pounds, ten cities (Luke 19:13-17), an instrument of ten strings (Ps. 33:2), at least ten families needed to establish a synagogue, and ten persons for a funeral procession. These ten virgins represent all the followers of Christ during all the ages….

Lamps without oil are the forms of Christian life that are without the substance of this life; lamps together with oil are the forms that are vitalized by the true Christian life. Compare 5:14. We may call this oil spiritual life, faith with its works, even the Holy Ghost as some do. We prefer to think of faith and its works as being the flame of the lamp, the grace and the power of Christ in his Word as the oil, and the outward forms of Christianity as the lamps. We have the exposition in 2 Tim. 3:5: "Having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof." We must have both.

I won’t try to interpret all the points of the parable, except to offer these few observations:

1. At the end of the story, there is a final division between the wise and the foolish, similar to the separations that occurred in the previous parables. The wise get to go inside with the wedding party but the foolish are left on the outside, forbidden to enter.

2. The virgins were described the same in every way except in the level of readiness when the bridegroom finally came.

They were ready at the beginning, but they were not ready when the crucial time came to go meet the groom.

Those who did not remain ready due to a lack of oil, were shut out of the celebration with finality.

3. What does it mean to be ready with fresh oil? The condition of readiness appears to be further expanded with the next parable in the chapter (vv. 14-30).

Lenski New Testament Commentary – [The structure of the sentence in the original language indicates that] Jesus is still speaking of "the kingdom of the heavens" (v. 1) and is adding another resemblance….

In the parable of the Pounds [Lk. 19] we have ten slaves and ten pounds, to each slave one pound. The one pound given to each slave is the Word and the Sacraments which belong alike to each of us and can never be divided. In the present parable the number of the slaves is not important. The point stressed here is the diversity, one getting more, another fewer talents. This very diversity helps us to explain the talents. They are our abilities and gifts, of which each of us has his personal and different share. We may think of the spiritual gifts, but we must include the natural (sanctified as they ought to be by grace) faculties of mind and of body, position, influence, money, education, and every earthly advantage and blessing. They come to us from the same Lord as a sacred trust to be employed in his service….

In this he is a picture of all those in the church who for any reason refuse to use the gifts of Christ in his service.

The point of the parable seems to be that it is not enough to believe the gospel (as all ten virgins and all three servants would seem to represent), but we must be continuously ready for the coming of the bridegroom by using (investing) our gifts in the service of the Lord.

You might have heard this statement before: “Going to a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a car.”

A more appropriate analogy might be this: “Going to church and saying you’re a believer doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a fire station and saying you believe in fighting fires makes you a real firefighter.”

To be a firefighter, you must actually fight fires. You certainly need the special training and the correct qualifications, but you’re still not a firefighter until you actually go out and help put out fires.

We are not really Christian until we have embraced certain beliefs, and we actually practice the instructions of our Lord.

Failure to invest our gifts and abilities in the service of the Lord would not only make us like the one servant who buried his talent, but it would also make us like the foolish virgins who did not buy enough oil to keep their torches lit when it was time to go meet the bridegroom.

The sad consequence is… separation from all those who are ready.

Conclusion:

We have taken a look at three specific parables today, plus a brief glance at a fourth one.

The common theme in all three has been the concluding scene involving separation between the good and the bad; the righteous and the wicked; or the wise and the foolish.

These parables reveal the truth that Jesus not only offered love & grace to his listeners but he also warned of coming judgment – a day when there will be final distinction btw true & false, right & wrong, and between “kingdom accepter and kingdom rejecter.”

These parables reveal the same truth that is revealed at the end of God’s revelation – separation is final.

See Rev. 20:11-15 ^(NKJV) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

I want to close the service today by asking you the question that is asked in our closing hymn: There’s a great day coming… are you ready for that day to come?